The Herpetological Journal
The Herpetological Journal is the Society's prestigious quarterly scientific journal. Articles are listed in Biological Abstracts, Current Awareness in Biological Sciences,Current Contents, Science Citation Index, and Zoological Record.
ISSN 0268-0130
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pdf 07. Size, body condition, and limb asymmetry in two hylid frogs at different habitat disturbance levels in Veracruz, México
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pp. 169-176
Authors: Matías-Ferrer, Noemí & Escalante, Patricia
Abstract: Habitat disturbance is one of the main factors contributing to population declines. Changes in the amount and quality of available habitat can affect body condition and morphology. In this study we evaluated the effect of habitat disturbance (deforestation, urbanisation and land-use change) on body size, body condition and fluctuating asymmetry in two species of arboreal tropical frogs (Agalychnis callidryas and Dendropsophus ebraccatus) at Los Tuxtlas Biosphere Reserve, Veracruz, México. We did not find significant differences in body condition or body size associated with habitat disturbance in A. callidryas, although the species reduced its local distribution in line with habitat disturbance. In D. ebraccatus, on the other hand, we observed a significant relationship between body condition and size with habitat disturbance. It is unknown whether these changes are adaptive or compromise the permanence of populations. Fluctuating asymmetry indices for both species exhibited no significant differences except for the tibia-fibula length of D. ebraccatus, which was significantly higher in undisturbed habitat.
Keywords: BODY SIZE, FLUCTUATING ASYMMETRY, DENDROPSOPHUS EBRACCATUS, HYLIDAE, AGALYCHNIS CALLIDRYAS, BODY CONDITION, HABITAT DISTURBANCE
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